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Trubisky’s Challenges, Chase’s Good Deeds, Bears to Honor Coppock, and Other Bullets

Meditation has been missing from my life. I had a good run with it earlier in the year, but went away from it. That was a mistake.

So I’ve been spending some time this week figuring out how to fit it in my schedule After concluding it would make sense for me to wake up earlier and meditate, I gave it a try this morning and my day is off to a better start. Lesson learned: If something is good for your body and soul, don’t stop doing it.

The more time I give to thinking about the Bears’ schedule, the more I’m looking forward to seeing how it unfolds when the ball gets kicked off:

One thought that continues to rattle around in my head is how the 2019 schedule serves as a premier opportunity for Mitch Trubisky to prove himself in a big way. Doing big things on a national stage will help build his confidence and raise his profile, but doing so against these particular opponents in front of him should go a long way toward making a believer out of non-believers.

Think about what Trubisky has to face this year: Eight games against six teams (Raiders, Vikings, Packers, Chargers, Chiefs, Broncos) who ranked in the top half of the league in completion percentage allowed. Six games against five teams (Vikings, Chargers, Cowboys, Eagles, Chiefs) who finished in the top half of yards/attempt. Seven games against six teams (Vikings, Chargers, Giants, Broncos, Chiefs, Eagles) who were top-half teams in opponents passer rating allowed. If Trubisky can have a breakout against this set of opponents, it could ultimately be a narrative changer moving forward.

To be fair, the Bears have a top-notch pass defense that other teams will have to combat, too:

The 2018 season was all about embracing the challenges, if only because few believed the Bears could be one of those worst-to-first stories. New coach, unproven quarterback, a brand new set of receivers, and a defense that was missing a link were coming together to take on a division that was loaded at the top as part of a schedule that had its share of teams believed to be on the rise. The Bears took those challenges head on, won the division, and held their own against the teams who figured to provide the biggest issues. And yet, they have to do it again to prove to themselves (and others) that last year was no fluke.

"I’m sure there will be a build up to it a little bit, but it will be special to go against those guys. Those guys are great players (and) great people. I loved being around them. But for those 60 minutes, it will be another NFL game."

Frankly, aren’t they all challenging? It’s the NFL. There are no layups, gimmes, buy games, sub-division opponents who field a roster half as big as yours because they don’t have as many scholarships. The NFL is tough. Nothing should be taken for granted.

Not only are the Bears playing five prime-time games, they will face five other teams who have five prime-time games on their schedule. That’s fun to think about. Clearly, the NFL’s schedule-makers and television executives think highly of the Bears after their 2018 season to put them under the lights in big games against big-time opponents. The Bears are headliners now and I’m kinda digging it.

NFL.com’s Elliot Harrison has the Bears playing in two of the league’s top-10 games in the coming year. Harrison lists Sunday Night Football matchups against the Chiefs and Rams in his top-10 and there is no debating those two contests are among the juiciest on the schedule in Chicago’s centennial season. I’m surprised the Bears-Packers season-opener didn’t make the cut, but perhaps those two teams can turn in an instant classic we look back on and see as a “Game of the Year” candidate – especially if the Bears end up on the winning side of the equation.

This is quite a gesture:

Bears to honor Coppock by leaving a seat open for him when kicking off 100th season.

Legendary Chicago sportscaster Chet Coppock attended 68 consecutive Bears before his passing. And since he certainly would have been at the 2019 lid-lifter celebrating the centennial anniversaries of the Bears and the league, leaving one seat open is a nice touch.

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